Soups & Stews

One of the best ways to fill Half Your Plate (and all of your soup bowl) is with a simple pureed soup. They’re a time-honoured and super-simple way to get a whole lot of vegetable flavour on the table in a hurry – maybe even hide vegetables from finicky eaters. This one was custom created by MPP Andrea Horwath with Chef Michael Smith’s coaching!

One of my all time favourite ways to enjoy ripe tomatoes is in a chilly bowl of puréed gazpacho soup. Normally raw ripe tomatoes are the base for the soup but since the local tomato season is so fleeting you can concentrate and brighten their flavours any time of the year by roasting them first!

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In the middle of winter, few dishes comforts cold hands and empty stomachs like a big bowl of steaming chili. This vibrant vegetarian version is bursting with bright flavours and stick-to-your-ribs heartiness. It's jam packed with veggies, beans and barley, which fills you up without weighing you down.

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When you steam off a pile of mussels they release a hearty broth that forms the base of soups all over the world.

I love how my local grocery has chickens spinning and roasting, ready to take home and serve up. But don’t stop there. You can stretch a rotisserie chicken into a hearty pot full of delicious soup for a crowd!

Around here chowder is about as common as ants at a picnic. We don’t waste a whole lot of time worrying whether it’s authentic or not either. Better to focus on flavor, which might just lead you to an uncommonly good chowder!

Cooks all over the world rely on the simplicity of gently simmering and transforming tough, flavorful cuts of meat into tender meals. Here’s how to create your own tender stew and add some of your own personality while you’re at it!

The rich meaty flavour of mushrooms make them one of the most popular side dishes in any steakhouse. This richly flavoured side dish is also perfect with a simple green salad or a freshly baked potato, or tossed with pasta.

There are as many ways to stew a chicken as there are cooks and cuisines. A bowl full of this classic comfort food is the perfect antidote for anything stressful life throws your way. It’s also a simple, tasty way to stretch a single chicken into a meal for many

Long ago, the cooks of the world discovered the efficiency of simmering tough meat in tenderizing water. They also discovered that they could add lots of local flavour to make the results more interesting. Today, beef stews are a part of cuisines and cultures around the globe. This one features the bright familiar flavours of the Southwest.